197: Big Victory

Chapter 194 A Great Victory

It was a soul radiating pure light; Kaven'er couldn't even look at it directly.

Arthur had already prepared the moment he saw the wraith.

The last time they visited this place, Heir had been possessed by a wraith.

So, the instant the two sides engaged in battle, he cast a three-ring divine spell—a Protection Array.

This spell not only protected all targets within the array's range from the charm, panic, or possession of the Undead.

It also weakened the Undead creatures in this area.

As Kaven'er's thoughts were gradually probed, Arthur also slowly pieced together the past events that had befallen this family.

And the battle was drawing to a close.

After Flora and Drax jointly dealt with the ghoul, the remaining Undead immediately became like headless flies, attacking haphazardly.

Sariya commanded the remaining battle while personally guarding the entranced Arthur.

The divine spell cast by the Lord had been a great help in this battle.

When the battle had just begun, an energy pillar shimmering with runes suddenly appeared in the center of the battlefield.

Sariya initially thought it was an enemy's evil spell, but when she saw the pure light emanating from the energy pillar, she immediately realized.

Even though she didn't see Arthur's figure, she knew in her heart that this must be a magic spell cast by the Lord.

Immediately following was the light that dispelled the Undead.

Sariya had witnessed this light before and understood that it was an excellent opportunity for an all-out attack.

Sariya increasingly felt that it wasn't them protecting the Lord; it was clearly the Lord protecting them.

"You commanded very well," Arthur said, "It seems we can get a good night's sleep tonight."

Sariya turned to look at the awakened Arthur and replied, "No, without your help, we would never have won so easily."

"Don't be modest," Arthur said, "Count the casualties, and I'll handle the healing.

"Then organize people to clear out the remaining Undead."

"Yes, Lord."

The cleanup of the battle continued until dusk.

The Undead near the manor house had been mostly cleared out.

Thanks to Arthur's presence, not a single person in this small team was even injured.

Sariya moved the camp to the stables near the mansion.

The soldiers' morale was high, and even after the battle, they actively reinforced the defenses of this temporary camp.

Dinner was prepared by Arthur himself; he cooked two large pots of stew with oatcakes, potatoes, and corned beef. To ensure the health of his subordinates, Arthur had the Pioneer Group pickle a lot of kimchi.

Soldiers usually brought some with them when performing missions.

This way, they could supplement essential vitamins and dietary fiber.

Although the standard of food had dropped significantly compared to during the journey, no one had a single complaint.

For these veterans of the Pioneer Group, their Lord personally cooking was already commonplace.

What truly convinced them was that the Lord's diet was the same as theirs. A noble, a saint, a hero who saved Mist Town, yet his daily food, clothing, and expenses were almost the same as those of ordinary people like them.

This equality invisibly deepened the loyalty of these soldiers and further boosted the team's morale.

During dinner, Sariya found Arthur to report the situation.

"Lord, I've never fought a battle like this," the Commander said, "On this trip, we eliminated at least a hundred Undead.

"Yet we didn't even have a single casualty.

"We couldn't even find anyone with a scratch. By the earth mother, I almost thought I was dreaming."

Flora, sitting next to Arthur, interjected, "This is the great power of the Forest Mother.

"As long as we are pious, she will respond."

"By the earth mother!" the surrounding soldiers shouted in unison.

They had also never experienced such a glorious victory.

Arthur saw the excitement, thrill, and pride in their eyes.

This was both good news and a hidden danger.

So he had Flora distribute the wine, and he specifically awarded his own share of wine to the soldiers who had fought bravely.

However, influenced by his usual conduct, many of the veterans refused to drink alcohol.

Their reason was simple: the battle was not over, and drinking could lead to mistakes.

This was another point that surprised Sariya.

Normally, she spent most of her time with these soldiers.

She had witnessed many people go from being heavy drinkers to being self-controlled and disciplined, some even completely quitting alcohol.

She had always been curious about what caused such a change.

After some inquiry, she learned that those who quit drinking were all emulating Arthur.

They said that the Lord didn't drink often, and if even a saint was so disciplined, ordinary people like them should strive harder.

After a round of wine distribution, quite a bit was still left.

Sariya's lips couldn't help but curve slightly upwards.

She felt that if she told her colleagues about this, probably no one would believe it.

Once the soldiers had drunk the wine and the camp atmosphere became more lively, Arthur prepared to announce his next plan.

"Guys, how does this wine taste?" Arthur first asked them, "Don't lie, the Goddess doesn't like liars."

"It tastes like horse piss," a soldier replied bluntly.

Sariya immediately looked at the person and noted his appearance.

She began to ponder how to teach this person how to speak to the Lord later.

To prevent people from getting drunk and making mistakes, Godwin had specifically stipulated when the Pioneer Group set off that the supplied wine must be diluted with water.

Wine treated this way naturally tasted bland.

Hearing this answer, Arthur laughed, "Then I'll take you to find truly good wine, would you like that?"

This time, no one continued to speak.

Everyone was waiting for Arthur to give a reasonable explanation.

"Further north, you can reach the Candy Family's winery.

"There you'll find Qingfeng Valley's best wine, and its brewing recipe."

The rest of the words, even if Arthur didn't say them, everyone else understood implicitly.

"Then let's go get it!" a soldier immediately said, "Such a good thing, it would be a pity not to take it!"

Other soldiers also echoed, and the atmosphere instantly became lively.

Seeing this, Arthur immediately seized the opportunity to give a speech.

Due to his long-term work in impoverished areas in his previous life, the most distinctive feature of his speeches was their simplicity and easy understanding.

He mainly clarified two points to this group of veterans.

Firstly, he wanted to thank everyone for their brave fighting just now;

Secondly, he also emphasized that the crisis was not yet over, reminding everyone not to be complacent, and that his divine spell was not omnipotent.

Dinner concluded with Arthur's speech.

At night, Arthur specifically sought out Sariya to ask her about the soldiers' situation.

"Lord, you don't have to worry," Sariya said, "No one will oppose your decision.

"Their morale is high now; they're eager for another battle."

"That's best," Arthur nodded, "But you must remember not to let them get carried away."

The Commander nodded solemnly: "I understand, Lord."

"I noticed your clear thinking when you commanded; have you led a team before?" Arthur asked.

"Before following Lord Bruce, I led a mercenary group," Sariya replied, "Later, because of Amn's xenocide.

"I disbanded my men and joined Bruce's team."

"In that case, you should be literate, right?"

"Yes, Lord," Sariya replied, "But I don't know many characters.

"Documents like contracts used to be managed by the mercenary group's quartermaster.

"You previously suggested having missionaries teach us to read; I think that's a very good idea."

Arthur nodded approvingly, "Study hard; I will rely on you all in many ways in the future."